星 星 之 火，可 以 燎 原

xīng xing zhī huǒ , kě yǐ liáo yuándictionary entry

a single spark can start a huge blaze (idiom) / an insignificant cause can have a massive effect

Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-f543b9b2124a3b55. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

星星之火，可以燎原 星星之火，可以燎原 [xing1 xing5 zhi1 huo3 , ke3 yi3 liao2 yuan2] /a single spark can start a huge blaze (idiom); an insignificant cause can have a massive effect/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

星
xīng
star / heavenly body / satellite / small amount
星
xīng
star / heavenly body / satellite / small amount
之
zhī
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de]) / him / her / it
火
huǒ
fire / urgent / ammunition / fiery or flaming / internal heat (Chinese medicine) / hot (popular) / classifier for military units (old) / Kangxi radical 86
Huǒ
surname Huo
可
kě
(prefix) can / may / able to / -able / to approve / to permit / to suit / (particle used for emphasis) certainly / very / but / however
kè
used in 可汗[kè hán]
以
yǐ
to use / by means of / according to / in order to / because of / at (a certain date or place)
Yǐ
abbr. for Israel 以色列[Yǐ sè liè]
燎
liáo
to burn / to set afire
liǎo
to singe
原
yuán
former / original / primary / raw / level / cause / source
Yuán
surname Yuan / (Japanese surname) Hara

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.